Knitting machine and method



Oct. 3, 1939.` R. F. RAVEN'A Er Al.

` KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Original Filed Sepi. 16, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 3, 1939.

R. F. RAVEN ETAL KITTING MACHINEy AND METHOD 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Original Filed Spt. 16, 1936 Oct. 3, 1939. R. F. RAQE Er Al. 2,174,949

n KNITYTING MACHINE AND mamon original Filed sept. 16,- 195s 5 sheets-,sheet .4

A rTo/iwe Vs 7 Ot. 3, 1939.A R, F. RAVEN gm. A

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, Arme sys .Patented Oct. 3, 1939 Param*A f OFFICE A KNITTING AND METHOD Reginald Frank Avery Raynor, England Original. application Se No. 101,140. Divided vember 22, 1937,

Britain September 17 12 Claims.

The invention is fora knitting machine for making corsets and like garments-such as surgical hose, and fabric therefor. An object of the invention is to provide an improved'method of shaping the article.

' By the exercise of the present-invention acorset or like constricting garment 'or article is provided incorporating rubber or elasticI strands which are incorporated with diiering frequency in different parts of an integral garment or article, that is to say are disposed closer together in one or more parts than in another part or parts.

In a 'knitted garment or article, courses containing elastic thread may occur more frequently in one part of the garment than another; hence the invention also includes a knitted corset or like garment or article wherein stitch courses embodying elastic thread occur with greater frequency or are dsposedpcloser together in one or more parts of the garment than in another part or parts. The different frequency of incorporating of elastic strands may occur in different parts of the circumference and/or of the length of a knitted garment or article or fabric therefor, and this may be achieved by causing needles of one orr more groups to knit with greater frequency than vthe needles of another group or groups less than the full complement of needles in a row or set.

The invention is applicable to the manufacture of that class of knitted garment or fabric having elastic threads laid into the courses thereof without being itself formed into stitch loops and knitted, although in addition to these laid-in threads there may be courses knitted of elastic thread (with or without inelastic thread), thereby imparting to the garment stretch both iii the y direction of the wales as well as in the direction of the courses. Such a garment may conveniently be produced on a multifeeder circular rib knitting machine, the elastic threads being laid between the oppositely drawn loops of the courses and thereby enclosed.

,Hence in the preferred method of production a circular rib knitting machine is employed having vtwo sets or beds Vof needles operating to draw loops in different directions, a plurality of sets of knitting cams, a thread feeder for each set of cams, at least one additional feeder at which elastic thread other than a stitch thread is fed between the oppositely drawn stitch loops andr having means whereby atpredetermined inter-4 vals a selected group or groups of needles less than the full set is or are rendered. inoperative at at least one thread feeder so as not to take thread.

Serial No. 175,973.

Raven, Beesten, and Harry Wollaton Park, Nottingham,

ptember 16, 1936, Serial and this application No- In Great 1935 It is also within the scope of the invention to v complete set or row do not take the stitch thread fed at at least` one feeder. Hence, in each .revolution of the machine, the needles of said group knit fewer courses than do the remainder, with the result thatl over the group of wales corresponding to the said group of needles the elastic threads will be more closely pitched than over the remaining wales. A From this certain effects fol1ow:-( 1) the garment or article is somewhat constricted over these courses, (2) its length is somewhat reduced over these wales, causing the tube of fabric to curve, (3) its capacity for elongation along these Wales is reduced.

For the purpose of more fully describing the nature of this'invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 illustrates a surgical hose constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a length of tubular fabric with constricted panels at intervals in its length and at different parts of its circumference.

Fig. 3 shows a portion of rib knitted fabric with elastic strands more closely pitched at one part than another. i

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the upper -part of a suitable knitting machine for producing tubular fabric in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 4.

' LFigs. 6 and 7 illustrate by way of example superimposed cams for needle selection.

Fig. 8 shows three types of needles for operation by the cams in Figs. 6 and 7.

Fig.' -9 is an enlarged elevational view of a device for automatically varying the stitch length.

Fig. 10 shows diagrammatically one form of lay-out or grouping of needles in a circular machinefor producing tubular fabric such as shown in Fig. 1 or 2.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view, somewhat diagrammatic, of mechanism for taking down or drawing oil' fabric during production. Y

In one method of carrying out the invention same will-be described as applied to a tubular garment or article produced. onacicular rib knitting machine and in the machne'illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings there 'are provided two stitch thread feeders lll and Il located at diametrically opposite positions in the machine and an elastic thread feeder I2 located intermediate of said stitch thread' feeders. The cylinder and dial needles of the machine are operated by knitting cams to draw loops from the two stitch threads I3 and I4 in opposite directions and produce rib knitted fabric therefrom. The needles appertaining to the cylinder and dial may be arranged in any suitable rib disposition, say for example 2 x 1. The elastic thread I5 fed at the feeder` I2 is laid in between the oppositely drawn stitch loops so as to be enclosed by them but not knitted. Advantageously the elastic thread I5 is fed under a suitable degree of tension between opposed truncated conical rollers I6, the degree of tension being adjusted in any suitable manner such as by raising and lowering the guides Il relatively to the roller I6 by rotation of a screw member I8 along which a bracket I 9 carrying said guides I'I is adapted to travel. The rotation of the feed rollers I6 and the consequent feeding of the thread I5 is effected from the cylinder needles through the intermediary of intermeshing gears 20, 2I and 22, the first-named gear 20 meshing withy the cylinder needles so as to be rotated thereby and the last-,named wheel 22 being mounted on the axis of one of the feed rollers I6.

At one or more positions in the length of the tube or garment being knitted a predetermined group of successive or adjacent needles of one set less than the complete set are rendered inactive at one of the stitch thread feeders, while at another position or positions in the circumference of the tube or garment a differentvgroup of successive or adjacent needles can be rendered inactive at the other stitch thread feeder. Advantageously the group or groups of needles rendered inactive at predetermined times appertain to the. cylinder needles, the. full complement of dial needles being continuously operated at each feed. Assuming for example that a surgical hose is being knitted such as is shown in Fig. 1, during .the knitting of a panel portion A at the topand back of the calf or at the back of the knee, a group of the cylinder needles which would normally take thread and knit at said portion is caused to miss at one'feeder for several successive courses, all of the needles meanwhile functioning to knit in the normal manner around the remaining part of the circumference of the fabric. As knitting progresses the inactive cylinder needles are again brought into operation and at another position in the length of the hose, say for example at the instep portion, another group of the cylinder needles diametrically opposed to the last-named group is temporarily rendered inactive at the' second feeder so as to produce the panel B. This results in the elastic thread I5 being laid more frequently or being more closely pitched in the panel portions A and B, thereby constrlcting the hose at these panel portions and shaping or-curving same.. During the knitting of the remaining part C of the hose the full complement of the needles ofboth sets take thread and knit at both of the stitchthread feeders.

It will, of course, be appreciated thatthe disposition of the constricted portions along the tubular fabric can be varied to'suit existing requlrements. For example, a tube maybe produced as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings having constricting panelsr or portions D located at equal distances along the tube and disposed alternately at diametrically opposite positions, thus producing a tube of undulating or wavy formation which can. subsequently be divided up as required, say for example on the dotted lines E.

The group or groups of A needles may be rendered inactive in 'numerous ways, say for example by withdrawing a feeder from operation While saidv group of needles pass same, or by maintaining the needles in a retracted position so as not to take thread. One convenient method ci rendering inactive a selected group or groups of needles at predetermined intervals will now' be described withreference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings.

The cylinder needles are provided with two butts spaced one above another. Three kinds of cylinder needles are employed as shown at 23, v24 and 25 in Fig. 8, the needles 23 having two long butts 26, the needles 24 having lower long butts 21 and upper short butts 2B, and the needles 25 having lower short butts 29 and upper long butts 30. A group of successive or adjacent needles 24 are provided at one side-of the cylinder, another group of needles 25 are located at a diametrically opposite position in the cylinder, and the remainder of the vcylinder between these two groups is occupied by the needles 23. The dial needles may be single butt needles and are operated by the customary knitting cams at each of the stitch thread feeders I0, II (Fig. 5). The knitting cams appertaining to the cylinder needles at the feeds I0 and II are each composed of superimposed cam elements so as to provide a dual cam track for the double butt needles .23, 24 and 25; one of these cylinder needle cams may, as shown in Fig. 6, have a relatively stationary ,upper cam yelement 3I andavertically displaceable lower cam element 32. e upper cam element 3I is advantageously a half thickness cam as shown by the sectioned portion of this cam, the purpose of this being to enable the top short butts 28 of the needles 24 to pass this cam element at predetermined times \without being operated thereby. When the lower cam element 32 is in the raised or operative position all of the needles 23,-24 and 25 are operated to'take thread and knit. When, however', it is required that the group of needles 24 be rendered inactive for a predeterminedA number of successive courses, the lower cam element 32 is moved down to the position indicated in broken lines at 32a, and when so disposed the needles 23 and 25 will be operated to take thread and knit, while the group of needles 24 will pass by the cams without being operated. The cylinder needle cam appertaining to the second stitch thread feeder is also provided with upper and lower cam elements 33, 34. In this case, however, it is the upper cam element 33 that is vertically displaceable, and the lower cam element 34 is a half-thickness cam as shown by the sectioned portion. When the upper.l cam element 33 is in the raised position, all of the needles 23, 24 and 25 are operated to take thread and knit. When, however, the cam-element 33 is lowered to the position shown in dotted lines at 33a, the group of needles 25 will pass the feeder without taking thread and knitting, the short bottom butt 29 of these needles 25 passing by the half-thickness cam 34. It will, therefore, be appreciated that by selectively lowering the vertically displaceable cam elements 32, 33, either or both of the groups of needles 24, 25 is or are rendered inactive; consequently at that part 4of the circumference of the machine where a group of cylinder needles is rendered inactive, the number of stitch courses Aon one face of the fabric, i. e. courses of cylinder needle stitches, is reduced by half, and the elastic strands I5 are consequently brought closerttogether in the length of the fabric. This is more clearly shown by reference to Fig. 3 vwherein the fabric portion C kprojection or lug 45 corresponds to that part of the fabric where all of the needles are operated and the fabric portion A is the portion wherein a group of the cylinder needles is rendered inactive. fabric illustrated is a 2 x 1 rib, the stitch loops CL Vbeing cylinder needle loops and the loops DL being dial needle loops.l

The displacement of the'cam elements 32, 33 at predetermined intervals is effected automatically by a suitable means. For example. same may be effected from a pattern drum, chain or the like through suitable lever mechanism. In the arrangement illustrated each( displaceable cam 32, 33 has a laterally projecting pin 35 which projects ythrough a vertical slot 36 in the cam box, said pin 35 also coactingwith a slot 31 in a circlnnferentially slidable plate 38 at the exterior of the cam box. This slot 31 is a diagonally disposed slot terminating at its upper and lower end in a short horizontal branchporf at its upper end a toothed or serrated'wheel or head 60 with which coacts a spring finger 5| so as positively to retain the spindle 46 from accidental rotation and also retain the cam elements 42 in their adjusted position.

vAs before described, the constricting panels or portions such as A and B in Fig. l or D in Fig. 2 are formed by rendering a group or groups of needles inactive during the production of said panels, and in the particular method described all of the needles of one set. e. g. the cylinder needles, are rendered inactive. It is, however,

advisable that for a predetermined number of stitch wales at each side of a constricted panel a proportion ofthe needles be rendered inactive so as to obviate a sudden constriction of the fabric at a predetermined Wale. This may be accomplished in the manner illustrated in Fig 10 wherein at diametrically opposite positions all of the cylinder needles at the groups E, F arev tion. Projecting outwardly from the slotted plate"swrel1del`ed inactive When "Producing CODSIiCted 33 is a pin StL-which, in the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 9, coacts with' an inclined or diagonal slot 40, in a vertically displaceable rod 4|. The arrangement is such that when' the rod 4| is raised by contact with a cam blt or the like, the pin 39 traverses the inclined slot 46 and in so doing the plate 33 is' slid horizontally on j the cam box. This causes the pin 35 on the displaceable cam element 32 or 33 to traverse the diagonal slot 3.1 in th'eplate 38 and the vertical slot 36 in the cam box'andbyso doing lower said 4l will; an Opposite displacement ofthe slotted plate 38. Simultaneously with, the 'lowering of either of the cam elementsk 32 or 33 to -an inoperative position,- means are advantageously brought into operation4 for lengthening drawn *byA the operative cylinder needles. To this end the stitch cam elements 42 which function for drawing the cylinder needle loops and knocking overffare vertically adjustable, and in one method of effecting this adjustment said camelements 42 are carried by a portion 43 slidable in a vertical slot 44 in the cam box, said sliding portion 43 having an. internally screw-threaded (Fig. 9) through which extends a screwed spindle 46 which is itself prevented from axial movement. This spindle 46 may terminate at its lower end in a crank or lateral extension 41 which coacts with an inclined or diagonal slot 48 in a vertically displaceable rod 49. When the rod 49 is moved up, the lateral projection 41 on the screwed spindle 46 is, by its engagement with the diagonal slot 48, turned so as to impart rotation to the spindle 46 and cause the cam elements 42 to be moved down to a predetermined degree and thereby increase the amount of the thread drawn in the formation of the cylinder needle loops. An opposite or downward movement of the rod 49 effects an opposite or upward movement of the cam elements 42 and shortens the loops. The displacement of the cam elements 42- for adjusting the size of the stitch loops is advantageously effected simultaneously with the displacement of the other movable cam elements 32, 33, it being understood, however, that when the knitting cams yat one thread feed lll are rendered inoperative, the cam elements 42 appertaining to the knitting cams at' the other thread feed Il are adjusted to produce longer or larger stitches, and vice versa. Advantageously the screwed spindle 46 at each knitting cam carries the loops of thread.

panels or portions, and at each side of each of said needle groups E, F over number of stitch wales alternate cylinder needles are rendered inactive, the needle groups at which the alternate cylinder needle are rendered inac tive being shown at G. This is done by providbutts, like the needles of groups E, F.

The invention also includes the provision in a machine for knitting a garment or article as above improved fabric `take-down or draw-oit quality (stitch length) of said fabric. More particularly the improved take-down or draw-off mechanism Vembodies a differential device whereby one half or part of the width or circumference ofthe any difference in elasticity or resistance to stretch which may exist between said parts. For example, when producing a garment or article having one or more panels or portions such as A and B in Fig. 1 or D in Fig. 2 at which the fabric is constricted or the capacity for elongation in the direction of the wales reduced as compared with the remaining part or parts, the improved take-down or draw-oir mechanism with diierential automatically operates to reduce the pull or take-up at said con'stricted or less-elastic part or parts relatively to the remaining part or parts, and thereby obviate stitch breakage.

By way of kexample the improvement will be described as applied to take-down mechanism of the kind described in Britis Patent Specification No. 357,323 wherein the fabric is taken down between gripping rollers geared for opposite rotation and racked by pawl and ratchet mechanism comprising a plurality (e. g. two) of ratchet wheels with co-acting pawls spaced around a circle and each pawl being carried by a pivoted arm which is rocked by the travelling engagement of a roller on said arm with a suitably disposed ring or race, the intermittent rocking of the pawl-carrying arms rotating the ratchetsV aand fabric gripping rollers.

In this invention the opposed fabric gripping rollers are divided in their length so as to provide two` pairs of rollers 52, 52a, one pair 62 75 -to draw-oil or take-down the fabric.

other pair by ratchet wheel 54, the two pairs of rollers being axially aligned on loosely inserted spindle members or bosses 55. On the two, roller driving spindles carrying the ratchets 53,v

l, are plvotally mounted two rocking members 56, 56a, each rocker carrying at one side of its pivot a roller or its equivalent 51 and having connected at the opposite side of the pivot a tension springy 58 anchored to a relatively stationary part. Each rocker also carries a pivoted pawl`59v, the two pawls coacting with the ratchet wheels 53 and 54 respectively. 'I'he small rollers 51 on the rockers 56 extend beneath and are adapted to coact with the under face of a ring or race 60 which is fixed at a suitable inclination to the horizontal or is suitably shaped on its under face so that as the take-down mechanism rotates on a vertical axis, the rockers 56. 56a, are, by virtue of the engagement of the roller elements 51 with said ring 60, pivotally displaced against the influence of the springs 58 to lower the pawls 59to the extent of one or more teeth on the ratchets 53, 5d, an opposite pivotal movement being imparted to the rockers by the springs 5B to rack the ratchet wheels as the rollers 51 travel to a higher part of the ring or race 50. It will be appreciated that each time a ratchet is racked, the pair of fabric gripping rollers influenced by said ratchet are rotated In this invention the strength or tension of the springs 55 is so determined that, should the resistance to stretch of the fabric in the direction of the stitch wales be greater than the force or effort exerted by a spring, said spring will be tensioned and will be prevented from pivoting the rockermember to effect a racking motion, whereas if the resistance exerted by the fabric being drawn off or taken down is insumcient to overcome the pull of a rocker spring, said spring will pivot the rocker and in so doing rack the draw-on rollers associated therewith. By this means when fabric is being taken down embodying constricted panels or portions A such as before described,

the resistance to draw-off exerted by that half or part of the circumference of the fabric embodying a constricted portion overcomes tl'ie infiuence of therocker spring 58 and prevents the fabric gripping rollers 52a from being rotated; whereas at the other half or part of the circumference of the fabric the rollers 52 are racked to take down the fabric. Thus it will be appreciated that while the part C of the fabric of a less constricted nature is being taken down at each revolution of the machine, the other part or halfl at which a constricted `panel portion AA is passing between the rollers 52a istaken down at a lesser speed seeing that said rollers 52a are racked at less frequent intervalsand will only be racked when the resistance to take-down has become suillciently reduced to permit of the rocker spring 58 operating the ratchet and rotat-A ing said rollers 52a. y

If the fabric being'taken down is of uniform or substantially uniform elasticity throughout its circumference in the direction of the wales then the ratchets appeitaining to both pairs of`rollers 52, 52a will be operated with equal frequency.

'If desired, in addition to the laid-in elastic threadspredetermined of the stitch courses may be knitted of velastic thread either alone or in conjunction with an inelastic thread, thereby imparting to the garment or article stretch both in the direction of the wales as well asin the direction of the courses. For example, one of the feeders I0, Il of the machine before-described may feed elastic thread to the needles to be knitted.

Moreover it' will be readily understood that the machine cams instead of operating upon butts formed on the needles may operate upon jacks or the like associated with the'needles.

This application is` a division of our co-pending application, led September 16, 1936, Serial No. 101,140, entitled Corsets and like garments.

We claim:

` 1. A rib knitting machine.adapted for protime and for a predetermined number of courses at least one selected group of needles less than the whole do not take stitch thread at at least one feeder.

2. A rib knitting machine according to claim l of` the circular type having cylinder` and dial needles and wherein at predetermined intervals a selected` group of one set of needles, e. g. the cylinder needles, less than the full set. is rendered inoperative while, the needles of the other set, e. g. the dial needles are operated to take thread and produce stitches at said feeder, and all of theneedles (both cylinder and dial needles) take thread and knit at a remaining feeder.

3. A rib knitting machine according to claim 1 of the circular type having cylinder and dial needles, means whereby at predetermined intervals at least one selected group of one set of needles less than the full set is rendered inoperative at a thread feeder, while the needles of the other set are operated to take thread and produce stitches, means whereby all needles (cyllinder and dial needles) take thread and knit at another feeder, and means whereby at each side of the said group or groups of inoperative nee dles alternate or other selected needles are rendered inoperative.

4. A knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein a group of needles less than vthe full complement in a needle row is rendered inoperative on predetermined knitted courses by providing differently formed needles (e. g. long and short butt needles) and displaceable cams operating upon said needles. y 5. A machine according to claim l having superimposed needle-operating cams. at at least one stitch thread feeder and plural-butted needles coacting with said cams, one of the cam elements of said superimposed cams being displaceable into and out of a needle-operating position and the height or length of the butts being different on a group 'of needles than on the remaining needles so as to enable the needles appertaining to a group less than the full complement in a needle rowto be rendered inoperative as and when desired.y

6. A circular 'rib knitting machine embodying in combination two sets of needles operating to draw loops in different directions, at least two 'half or part of said 'of said double butt needles being different from those on the remaining needles of the set so as to render inactive a selected group or groups of needles at predetermined stitch courses.

- 7. A knitting machine according to claim 1 provided with fabric take-down or draw-off mechanism embodying -means whereby the speed at which the fabric is taken down or drawn-off is automatically varied in accordance with the speed of production of said fabric.

8. A knitting machine according to claim 1 provided With fabric take-down or draw-01T mechanism embodying a dierentlal device whereby one half or part ofthe width or circumference of the fabric or article being produced can beautomatically taken down or drawn off at a greater or lesser speed than the other width or circumference.

9. A knitting machine according to claim 1 and including means for variably adjusting the stitch length or size at one or more of the stitch thread feeders.

10. A knitting machine according to claim 1 including means for variably adjusting the stitch length or size at one or more of the stitch thread feeders when a group or groups of needles is or are rendered inactive at said feeder or feeders.

11. A knitting machine for producing an larticle or fabric incorporating weft-wise rubber or elastic strands with differing Wale-wise spacing in different parts of the fabric, comprising means whereby at least one needles, means for feeding knitting thread thereto, means for causing said needles toknit said thread, means for laying an elastic thread weft-l wise between the knitted loops, means for causing needles that knit the loops at. one side of the elastic threads in an area of the fabric to knit with less frequency than do the needles knitting beyond said area and the needles knitting loops said area. thereby to decrease the pitch of the elastic threads in said area by a difference in the knitted structure of the fabric within said area as compared with the fabric beyond it, and meansv for producing a gradual or step by step transition between the two knitted structures at the boundary of said area thereby to producea gradual or step by step variation in pitch of the elastic threads at said boundary.

12. A knitting machine for producing an article or 'fabric incorporating weft-wise rubber or elastic strands with differing Wale-wise spacing in different parts of the fabric, comprising needles, means'for feeding knitting thread thereto, means for causing said needlesto knit said thread, means for laying an elastic thread weftwise between the knitted loops, means for causat the other side of the elastic threads in ing needles that knitthe loops at one side of the elastic` threads in an area of the fabric to knit with less, frequency than do the needles knitting beyond said area and the needles knitting loops at tl'ie other side of the elastic threads in said fara, thereby to decrease the.pitch of the elastic threads in said area by a difference in the knitted structure of the fabric within said area. as compared with the fabric beyond it, and means for varying the frequency of knitting, at the boundaryof said area, of 'needles that within said area produce loops at one face of the fabric.

H. A. RAYNOR. 

